


Arms and the Lady

by AthenaeGalea



Category: RWBY
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-07
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-09-13 20:11:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16899123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AthenaeGalea/pseuds/AthenaeGalea
Summary: A discussion of Weiss's armament leads to discussion of image and self. But hopefully not as pretentious as that makes it sound.





	Arms and the Lady

**Author's Note:**

> For the purposes of this, Akoúo̱ has a centre-gripped-buckler form as well as the dipylon/hoplon form. She's a duellist, so it makes sense to me, anyway.

“Hey sis, what’s going on?” Yang entered the training room to the clash of steel.

“Pyrrha’s trying to convince Weiss that a secondary weapon would help her.”

“Errr... that’s a more ... aggressive strategy than I’d expect Pyrrha to use in a debate.”

The other two were fencing, Pyrrha using Miló in sword form and Akoúo̱ as a buckler. To Weiss’s eyes, Pyrrha’s stance was a little square-on for simple fencing, but that wasn’t the focus right now.

Here Weiss held up her right hand to acknowledge a touch and Pyrrha withdrew and raised Akoúo̱ to indicate a break. They walked over to the two sisters, breathing heavily.

Ruby continued explaining to Yang. “Miló as a xiphos is not as good a dueling weapon as Myrtenaster so Pyrrha’s showing the advantage a buckler brings.”

“But isn’t Pyrrha just... better?”

Here Pyrrha herself interjected. “Not at fencing. We tried earlier without Akoúo̱ and Weiss won nearly every point.” Weiss smiled a little self-importantly at the praise, though coming from Pyrrha this was hardly strong.

Ruby offered her own opinion, “Weiss, I’m with Pyrrha. Why don’t you at least try it?”

Weiss was clearly unwilling. She latched onto the first reasonably-sounding explanation. “It would interfere with my glyphs. I need a free hand to use them properly.”

“Just for fencing, then? Just to try?”

“Even that could interfere with my training!”

“Not for long!”

Yang looked thoughtful. “Ruby, how about you find out what you’re talking about before making recommendations? I’m sure Pyrrha would be happy to teach you.” She looked intently at Pyrrha, who got the message.

“What an excellent idea.”

“But Crescent Rose!”

“I’m sure she won’t mind. It’ll probably help you in future against Weiss, as well.” That argument was enough to convince Ruby.

Weiss looked pointedly at Yang. “Now look what you’ve done.”

Yang returned a brief insouciant smile. “Now that they’re out of the way, you can tell me what’s really bothering you.”

Weiss narrowed her eyes. Pyrrha’s laugh at Ruby’s first swings with a training sword, using more enthusiasm than skill, drifted from the other side of the room.

“What I said wasn’t false. It  _ would  _ interfere with my glyphs.”

“That’s not the only reason.”

“Isn’t it reason enough?”

“Not to not train with one. What do you have against bucklers?”

Weiss grimaced. “They’re ... inelegant.”

Yang’s bark of laughter drew Ruby’s attention before Pyrrha rapped her to bring it back.

“Oh, Ice Queen. I knew it would be something like that.”

Weiss blushed and started gesturing incoherently. Just as she was readying to storm off, Yang grabbed her arm.

“I’m sorry Weiss. I shouldn’t tease.” That brought a raised eyebrow. “Not like that, anyway.” Yang released her and they sat down. “I know you need to keep up appearances, but not in front of us.”

The grimace returned. Silence fell.

Yang tried to prompt her again, more gently this time. “What are you so worried about?” She made to wrap her arm around Weiss, then remembered who she was talking to.

Weiss still refused to speak, looking increasingly uncomfortable.

Finally, very quietly and hesitantly, she began to explain. “It’s stupid. I  _ know _ that. But... I wouldn’t be  _ me _ .”

They continued to sit for a moment, watching Pyrrha try to stop Ruby looping her sword over her head.

“Is that all you think you are? An appearance?”

“No.” Weiss’s tone left no room for doubt. “But...”

“But families’ expectations are hard to deal with.” Not that she had too much personal experience. Her desires had matched well.

“They are. But it’s more than that.”

Yang felt she might have to be more aggressive. “Do you  _ want _ to be controlled by this all your life?”

Weiss stiffened. Yang did now put her arm around her, but she twisted away and stood up. Alright, that was  _ too _ aggressive.

Pyrrha noticed the movement, as she’d manoeuvred Ruby so her back was to Yang and Weiss. She glanced at Yang, who beckoned her over. She called a halt to Ruby, who stopped partway through another wide swing.

A quick debrief followed. “Ruby, you’re improving, but you’re still trying to use it like Crescent Rose, even though you don’t have the reach and it’s easier to block a sword than a scythe. We’ll try again in a few minutes, but try to think about how Weiss fights.” They rejoined Weiss and Yang. Ruby now clearly noticed Weiss’s upset, but at a sign from Yang she said nothing.

“Hey, sis, how about we go some rounds? See if we can undo Pyrrha’s hard work?”

“Go on. If you can’t keep the two styles separate, it’s better to keep your own.”

Pyrrha sat on the bench next to Weiss, still breathing heavily from her exertion, as the two sisters entered some space for a spar.

They both waited quietly for a couple of minutes, watching the other two fight loudly. Finally Weiss broke.

“I was telling Yang that my image requires a certain style. It matters to me, though I don’t want it to.”

Pyrrha did not react for a while. Then, finally: “I think I understand. I’m sorry, I pushed too hard. And since it wouldn’t work in an actual fight, it isn’t a big deal anyway.”

“How do you deal with the expectations on you?”

“My image is looser than yours. And I enjoy the most important part. Other than that, I don’t have any advice. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. Just remember that if there’s anyone on Remnant you can let it slip for, they’re in this room right now. Trust them.”

They looked over at the sisters, whose fight had devolved by this point into Yang holding Ruby at arm’s length while Ruby punched ineffectively at her arms.

Weiss smiled at Pyrrha. “So, shall we retrieve our wayward children?”

**Author's Note:**

> This one's a bit all over the place character-wise, so I may make a tweak or two, but if I don't publish it now I never will. I wanted a larger part for Ruby, but it didn't quite work. Also, there's something off with the rhythm of the dialogue, but I'm not quite sure what it is.  
> Comments on fighting style or grammar especially welcome, as always.  
> Thank you for reading.


End file.
